This is a question of pure curiosity on my part. Why do you take eggs/caterpillars out of their natural environment to watch them grow indoors? It's like taking a pregnant rabbit from outside, keeping it in your house till it has babies, then putting them back outdoors? Why do you do it? Really, just curious about the hobby.

I was curious too until the time I had 2 beautiful swallowtail caterpillars disappear. No doubt the birds or something else took them. That's when I realized that it would have been better to keep them indoors and protected so that they would live and survive. Just my opinion.

susanzone5 (NY):

Honestly, it's incredibly fascinating to watch the process of egg/cat/pupa/butterfly. Finding new butterflies in my cages makes me happy, and watching them fly away when I release them does too. I give some of the pupae away to friends with children/grandchildren as well - they love them! (except for the one 3 year old who wailed inconsolably when her Monarch flew away. She thought she'd get to keep it for a pet - adorable.)

I also do it because over 90% of eggs and cats left outdoors do not make it
to butterflies - they get eaten, parasitized, or die from eating host
plants that have been treated with Bt or mosquito fogging. While nature
designed the high mortality rate so others can live, (flies, wasps,
birds), humans have made a huge negative impact. The aforementioned
sprays and removing so much of their natural habitat/host plants has
really hurt populations.

Someone else will have to save the bunnies... I have a beagle so they stay out of my yard ;)

humans have made a huge negative impact << For me, this, particularly as it pertains to Monarchs. I'm happy to leave Giants outdoors (and just place tulle netting around the branches where they feed).

Our yard is abundant with wasps, anole lizards and mockingbirds -- all of which are taking a toll on the caterpillars (esp the Monarchs as I have more milkweed than any other host plant in my yard). I did a bit of an experiment (albeit not horribly scientific, but it's the best I can do), as I have milkweeds planted on two sides of my backyard. I've left the right side completely unattended (i.e., I don't check the leaves for cats every morning). When I do check once a week, I never find any cats at all (and I know eggs are being laid). I can only assume the baby cats are being eaten by wasps and anoles (the latter which I see crawling among the branches all day). I check the left side every morning and will invariably find newborn/newly hatched cats -- those, I harvest before the lurking lizards can get to them.

PS I've come away from raising any cats strictly indoors. I keep them in ventilated/screened containers in the yard.

Congratulations on the giant swallowtail caterpillars, one of my faves!! They're so ugly they're cute! One of the host plants I've planted in my new yard is a wafer ash - I saw a large butterfly with yellow on it the other day, but it flew away too quickly for me to be sure it wasn't a tiger instead of a giant swallowtail. Like you, when I've raised giant swallowtails, a few eggs don't hatch and a few die in the earliest instars, upsetting to me, but apparently normal for giant swallowtails.

I raise my caterpillars in a cage - pvc frame with mesh over it - and they're on my screened in front porch. I think I could actually raise them without the cages on this screened porch, will see.

Sherry

I'm with you Weed30. I think you're doing a great job!

For anyone still following, I just learned that Giants are nocturnal and primarily feed at night! I have always wondered why they just "sit there" all day... they're kind of boring to watch compared to Monarchs and BSTs who eat ravenously. I knew they were eating, because they get huge, but didn't realize they were enjoying the buffet while I slept :)

Amazing strategy. Bird dropping by day. Mobile bird dropping at night.